Blowout panel system for building walls

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a blowout panel system for building walls including a blowout opening, a panel filling and closing the opening which is displaceable out of but not into the opening and an emergency closure sheet stored in the interior of the building wall and mounted to be slid across the opening to close it temporarily to prevent rainwater damage.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,864,881

Wolf 1 Feb. 11, 1975 [54] BLOWOUT PANEL SYSTEM FOR 3,363,376 1/1968Wendel 52/1 3,386,215 6/1968 Wendel 52/1 BUILDING WALLS 3,392,489 7/1968Johnson 52/1 [76] Inventor: Clarence P. Wolf, 1302 W1l1owwo d 3,462,8908/1969 Blumenkranz 1. 52 1 Ct., Irving, Tex. 75060 3,521,546 7/1970 Day52/ l 221 Filed: July 12, 1973 Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott PP N378,528 Assistant Examiner-r11. E., Raduazo 1 Attorney, Agenn orFifr'neClegg, Cantrell & Crisman [52] US. Cl. 52/1, 49/142, 52/173 I g{51] Int. Cl E051 /20 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 52/1 173;49/142 Disclosed is a blowout panel system for building walls mcludmg ablowout opening, a panel filling and closing the opening which isdisplaceable out of but not [56] Reerences cued into the opening and anemergency closure sheet UNITED STATES PATENTS stored in the interior ofthe building wall and mounted 2,100,124 11/1937 Gilpin 49/485 to be slidacross the opening to close it temporarily to 3,112,535 12/1963 y 52/lprevent rainwater damage. 3,250,041 5/1966 Anger 49/501 3,332,175 7/1967Hawes 52/1 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 46 44 I40 22c 150 39 41 46 27c 4042 '3 2m 43 I6 280 34a 24a 23a %26 250 45 250 PATENTED F551 sum 10F .2

II/IIIIIII/IIII/IIIIIIII FIG. 2

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the art ofbuilding construction, and is particularly concerned with a' blowoutpanel system for use in a building wall, and with novel blowout panels.While the invention is useful in a wide variety of buildingconstructions, it finds particular utility in lightly constructed framebuildings such as mobile homes.

Mobile homes are factory built structures, whose advantages includeportability and economy of construction. To obtain these advantages, thetypical construction mode includes a wooden stud frame with aluminumsheathing for the exterior siding, and plywood paneling for the interiorwall surfacing. Some mobile homes have quarter inch plywood sheets underthe aluminum sheathing. Because if their light construction, mobilehomes and similar buildings are far more susceptible than conventionalconstruction to damage from severe wind storms, including tornadoes,hurricanes and severe thunder storms. Resistance to the high winds ofsuch storms is usually provided by a system of tie-downs which securethe building to its foundation. But such measures do not overcome theproblem presented by the fact that violent storms, and particularlytornadoes, are characterized by a rapid and extreme drop in barometricpressure. The rapid drop in atmospheric pressure results in a momentarypressure differential between the interior and the exterior of thebuilding, with the higher pressure being inside. The magnitude of thepressure differential is on the order of two to five pounds per squareinch. Buildings of heavy conventional construction can often withstandsuch pressures, but in a lightly constructed building the typical resultis that it literally explodes. Such explosions of mobile homes; besidesdestroying them and the property within them, create great dangers tothe lives of persons who may be in them.

Heretofore, no special steps have been routinely taken in the mobilehome field to cure the problem of liability to explosion upon severedrops in barometric pressure. In other construction fields, specialtechniques have been developed for constructing buildings in whichmanufacturing operations susceptible to explosion are conducted (seeU.S. Pat. Nos. 3,112,535, 3,150,749 and 3,332,175); rupturable panelsfor explosion damage control, both external and internal, have beenproposed (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,358,143 and 2,679,467); and pivoted ventand/r window structures for rapid pressure relief have been proposed(see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,204,585, 3,453,777 and 3,521,546).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided in accordance with thepresent invention a blowout panel system for use in a building wall, anda blowout panel forming part of the system, which are reliable inoperation and simple and economical in construction. Economy ofconstruction is particularly important in the mobile home applicationsof the invention, since such buildings, in addition to being lightweight, are also low cost structures.

The system of the invention includes a blowout opening formed in abuilding wall and having a frame which defines the opening. Generallysuch openings will be rectangular in configuration. A blowout panel isprovided which includes an exterior sheet of the same general shape asthe opening, but somewhat larger than it so that it will not passthrough the opening; an interior core block shaped to fit into theopening and having a thickness about equal to the thickness of the wall;and an interior sheet which covers the opening but is not so large thatit will not pass through the opening. The blowout panel is normallypositioned in the opening and tits there snugly to form a weather tightpart of the building wall. If desired it may be sealed into the openingwith plastic sealing strips and/or with caulking material.

When a dangerous inside-to-outside pressure differential is created, asoccurs when a tornado is in the vicinity, the excess pressure in theinterior of the building forces the panel to be displaced outwardly fromthe opening, thus providing a flow path for air from the interior of thebuilding to the outside, so that the pressure differential may quicklybe dissipated before it causes structural damage to the building as awhole.

The kind of Windstorm against which the present invention providesprotection is also often accompanied by severe rain. Therefore, inaccordance with one form of the invention there is provided an emergencyclosure sheet which is normally positioned inside the building walladjacent the blowout opening. When a blowout occurs and the blowoutpanel is displaced out of its opening, the emergency closure sheetbecomes accessible and can be drawn. across the opening to provide atemporary substantially water tight closure. In this manner provision ismade to protect the interior of the building from water damage caused bythe storm.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a blowout panel andblowout panel system for use in a building wall to provide protectionagainst structural damage during periods of severe low barometricpressure such as occur in the neighborhood of tornadoes and otherviolent storms.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a blowout paneland blowout panel system which is simple in construction, reliable inoperation, and economical to build and install.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a blowoutpanel'system for use in a building wall which includes emergency closuremeans for protecting the building interior from water damage after theblowout panel has been displaced from the building wall.

The foregoing objects and purposes, together with other objects andpurposes, may be best understood from a consideration of the detaileddescription which follows, together with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammaticcross-sectional plan view of a blowout panel system constructed inaccordance with the invention, the section being taken on the line I lof FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is an inside elevational view of the blowou panel system of FIG.I with parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic isometric view of a mobile home havingblowout panel systems constructed in accordance with the inventioninstalled in the walls thereof;

FIG. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic cross-sectional plan view of anotherembodiment of the invention, the section being taken on the line 4-4 ofFIG. 5; and

FIG. 5 is an inside elevational view of the blowout panel system of FIG.4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Attention is first directed toFIG. 3, which illustrates a typical mobile home structure 10. Mobilehome is provided with windows 11 and door 12. The walls 13 of building10 are typically constructed of light vertical wooden studs with paintedaluminum sheathing on the exterior thereof and plywood paneling on theinterior. Fiberglass, rockwool or foamed plastic insulation is normallypositioned in the spaces between the studs.

Mobile home 10 is equipped with a plurality of blowout panel systemsdesignated generally as 14 at spaced locations in the walls 13. In amobile home of typical size, at least six such panel systems arepreferably employed. In larger buildings, more would be appropriate. Thepanel systems 14 shown in FIG. 3 are proportioned to fit betweenadjacent studs of wall 13; hence their configuration is that of uprightrectangles. It should be understood, however, that interior layout orother considerations may make it convenient to arrange the panel systemsas horizontally oriented rectangles or to make them in a shape otherthan rectangular. Similarly, the panel systems may extend vertically foronly a portion of the height of the wall, as they are shown in FIG. 3,or they may extend for substantially the entire height of the wall.

The structure of the blowout panel system of the invention can best beunderstood by a consideration of FIGS. 1 and 2, from which it can beseen that the blowout panel system 14 includes a blowout paneldesignated l5 fitted into a blowout opening in walls 13. The verticalsides of the blowout opening are defined by studs 16 and 17, and itshorizontal ends are defined by horizontal framing members 18 and 19.

FIG. 1 shows that the building wall 13 comprises, in addition to studssuch as 16 and 17, exterior siding 20, which is commonly aluminum sheet,and internal paneling 21, which is commonly plywood with a decorativefinish. Insulating material is normally positioned in the space betweenthe exterior siding and the interior paneling, although it is omittedfrom the figures for clarity of illustration.

The blowout panel is preferably made up of an exterior sheet 22, whichis preferably formed of the same material, with the same finish, as theexterior siding 20 of wall 13. In this manner the blowout panel can bemade to be very inconspicuous so that it does not detract from theaesthetic appearance of the building. Exterior sheet 22 generallyconforms in shape to that of the blowout opening (in FIGS. 1 and 2 bothare rectangular), but is larger than the opening in every dimension.Thus, sheet 22, and the panel 15 of which it is a part, are not capableof displacement inwardly through the blowout opening.

The next part of the blowout panel is core block 23. Core block 23 maybe constructed in various manners, but in accordance with the preferredembodiment of the invention it is formed of foamed polystyrene. Thismaterial is preferred because it produces a lightweight panel havinggood insulative properties and can be readily formed as a unitarystructure. Core block 23 is shaped and dimensioned to fit into theblowout opening in wall 13 and to fill that opening. From FIG. 1 it canbe seen that block 23 has a thickness substantially equal to that of thewall 13. The core block 23 is attached to the exterior sheet 22 of theblowout panel by any convenient means, such as gluing. It is positionedon the sheet so that a peripheral margin of the sheet surrounds thecore. Stated differently, the exterior sheet 22 and core 23 takentogether form a structure having a peripheral flange larger than theblowout opening on the exterior side of the panel.

Blowout panel 15 also includes an interior sheet 24, which is shaped anddimensioned to cover the blowout opening but to be passabletherethrough. Interior sheet 24 is attached to the inner face of coreblock 23, as by gluing, and may conveniently be formed of the samematerial as the interior paneling 21 of wall 13. In this manner theblowout panel system is made to be inconspicuous from the inside of thebuilding.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the blowout panel of theinvention fits snugly into the blowout opening, and when in position,functions as part of the building wall. It is not capable of beingdisplaced inwardly through the wall, because of the beforementionedperipheral external flange, but is capable of being pushed out of theopening toward the outside of the wall, upon application of sufficientforce from the inside. It is this capability which provides protectionto the building against dangerously high interior-toexterior pressuredifferentials.

For the purpose of improving the general weather tightness of thissystem, and for the additional purpose of adjusting with some precisionthe total force, or pressure differential, at which the blowout panelwill separate from the building wall, sealing means are preferablyemployed. One form of the sealing means is the plastic (or metal)sealing strip 25, which as shows best in FIG. 1, is T-shaped incross-section and is fitted between the edges of the opening and thepanel around its periphery on the interior side of the panel. Anotherform of sealing means and break-away point adjusting means is the beadof caulking or sealing compound indicated at 26. The caulking or sealingcompound employed should be one of the kind which remains relativelysoft for extended periods of time so that it will break in shear uponapplication of the required force to the interior of the panel. Ifdesired, both plastic sealing strips such as 25 and sealing compoundsuch as 26 may be employed in a given panel system, as is shown in FIG.1, or one or both of these sealing means may be omitted.

It is also possible, in accordance with the invention, to omit relianceupon friction forces (the snugness of fit of the panel, and thefrictional fit of strips 25) and adhesive forces (the internal strengthof sealing bead 26) for setting. the break-away point of the blowoutpanel, and to rely on mechanical means for this function. For example inFIG. 1 there is shown at 27 a pair of telescoping spring-loaded plasticshear pins positioned in facing holes in core 23 and studs 16 and 17.Upon the application of sufficient force shear pins 27 will break andthe panel will blowout from the building wall. Other equivalent devicesmay be used, such as spring loaded balls working in pockets or detents,or pairs of magnets.

Stud 16 is provided with a passageway 28 which extends therethrough. Itis of a length substantially equal to the length of the blowout opening.Tracks 29 and 30 (see FIG. 2) are mounted in the building wall,preferably on frame members 18 and 19, and on horizontal members 31 and32 so that they extend through the passageway 28 at each end thereof andextend along opposite sides of the blowout opening and interiorly of thebuilding wall adjacent the opening for a distance which is substantiallytwice the width of the opening. If

desired the frame members 18, I9, 31 and 32 may be slotted to accomodatethe track means. Structurally the track means may be channel shapeddevices similar to those employed in patio door constructions or showerdoor constructions, and they may be formed of metal such as aluminum. Ifdesired, they may be equipped with anti-friction rollers. Lower track 30is preferably apertured on its side facing the exterior of the buildingin the portion thereof extending across the bottom of the blowoutopening so that water accumulating in the track may drain out.

Emergency closure sheet 33 is slidably mounted on and supported by thetrack means and is moveable along the track means, from a position whichis in the interior of wall 13, but adjacent the blowout opening, to aposition across the blowout opening. As FIG. 1 is drawn, closure panel33 is shown in its standby or storage position in the interior of thewall, and as FIG. 2 is drawn, the panel 33 is also shown in dotted linesdrawn part way across the blowout opening.

At a convenient point on stud 16 a cut-out 34 is made, and at the samerelative position a handhold 35 is cut into the edge of closure sheet33. In this manner provision is made for a user of the panel system tograsp the sheet and pull it across the opening after the panel has beenblown out of the opening. Stud 17 is provided with a groove 36 intowhich the edge of closure sheet 33 fits when it is drawn across theblowout opening. A cut-out 37 is formed in stud 17 to provide access tothe handhold 35 so that the closure sheet can be withdrawn from itsclosed position when it is desired to do so.

When closure sheet 33, which may conveniently be formed of relativelyheavy guage aluminum, is drawn across the blowout opening, it seals itfrom the weather relatively well and permits little or no rain water toenter the building through the opening. Closure sheet 33, of course, isnot a suitable permanent closure for the blowout opening because of itslack of total weather tightness and good insulative properties, but itis adequate to serve its emergency function well.

The blowout panel system illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is verticallyoriented, and the emergency closure sheet 33 is stored in the interiorof the wall beside the opening. When a horizontally oriented blowoutpanel system is employed, there may be sufficient headroom above theopening for storage of the closure sheet above the opening in theinterior of the wall. Under this arrangement, gravity may be relied uponto automatically close the opening with the sheet, but those skilled inthe art will appreciate that sufficient friction should be provided bythe track means, or by sash weights or the like to insure that theclosure sheet does not move across the blowout opening until sufficienttime has elapsed to permit the blowout panel system of the invention tofunction to equalize the internal and external atmospheric pressures.

When the blowout panel 15 is displaced outwardly from the blowoutopening in the course of a violent storm, it may be carried aconsiderable distance by the wind, inasmuch as it is a light structure.If desired, a tether may be provided in the form of a coiled cableattached to the building foundation and to a convenient point on theexterior of panel 15 to keep the displaced panel in the general vicinityof the building after it has blown out.

The alternate embodiment of the blowout panel system of theinventionillustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 contains many elements which aresubstantially identical in structure and/or function to those discussedabove in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. For thatreason, the same or similar elements in FIGS. 4 and 5 have been giventhe same reference characters with the subscript a added. Thisdiscussion will concentrate on those aspects of the embodiment of FIGS.4 and 5 which differ from the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The blowout panel system 14a of FIGS. 4 and 5 is especially suited forconstruction as a module which can readily be installed in mobile homesunder construction, or, in the field, in mobile homes which wereoriginally built without blowout panel systems in them. From FIG. 5 itcan be seen that the blowout panel system 14a extends substantially fromfloor to ceiling, and in this respect differs from that shown in FIG. 2.FIGS. 4 and 5 both show that the modular width of the blowout panelsystem 14a is substantially equal to the spacing between three studs,the left hand most stud being designated 38, and the right hand moststud being designated 17a. The intermediate stud is conveniently" formedby a pair of vertical pieces both of which are designated 16a in FIGS. 4and 5. As a practical matter these may be pieces of 2 by 4 lumberpositioned in the wall of module at right angles to the normal studpositioning. There is thereby formed between them a slot 28a, withoutthe necessity of a sawing operation. (In this connection it should benoted that the thickness of the wall in FIG. 4 is somewhat exaggeratedfor clarity of illustration).

From FIG. 4 it can be seen that wall 13a of the mobile home is one ofthe kind in which a plywood sheet 39 is employed beneath the outeraluminum sheathing 20a. Furthermore, the internal paneling of wall 13ais in two layers including the decorative layer 21a and a backing layer40. In the interior of the wall to the left of the blowout opening, achannel is formed for the emergency closure 33a by sheets 41 and 42,which may conveniently be formed of pressed wood, such as that soldunder the trade name Masonite. The provision of sheets 41 and 42 makesit convenient to include fiberglass insulation 43 in the interior of thewall, since the sheets prevent such insulation from interfering withmovement of the closure sheet 33a.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the outer sheathing 22a of the blowoutpanel 15a is backed with a layer of plywood 44. Blowout panel l5a alsodiffers from that in the embodiments of- FIGS. 1 and 2 in that thefoamed core 23a is encased in a light plywood frame 45. Such a frameprovides protection to the core against abrasion and the like.

The embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 also includes a vapor seal bead 46between the flange of the panel and the adjacent exterior wall surface.Such a seal does not materially affect tha above discussed break-awayproperties of the panel. It should also be noted that the sealing strips250 are indicated in FIG. 4 as being attachable to the blowout panel bylight screws. In this connection it may be observed that theexteriorflange of the panel may also be attached to the wall with light weightscrews. Neither of these screw attachments materially affect thebreak-away properties of the blowout panel.

From the foregoing it can be seen that there is provided, in accordancewith the present invention, a blowout panel and blowout panel systemwhich is simple in construction, reliable in operation and which, in itspreferred form, provides emergency protection against rainwater damageto the interior of the building as well as protecting the buildingagainst explosive pressure differentials between the inside and theoutside.

What is claimed is:

l. A blowout panel system for use in a building wall comprising:

frame members defining a blowout opening in said wall;

a blowout panel shaped and dimensioned to fill said opening, said panelhaving means establishing a peripheral flange larger than said openingon the exterior side of the panel, whereby to prevent displacement ofthe panel inwardly through said opening but permit displacement thereofoutwardly from said opening;

a passageway extending from said opening through one of said framemembers, said passageway being of a length substantially equal to thedistance said opening extends along said frame member;

track means extending through said passageway at each end thereof, saidtrack means extending along opposite sides of said opening andinteriorly of said building wall adjacent said opening for a distancesubstantially twice the dimension of said opening in g the direction ofextension of said track means;

and an emergency closure sheet slidably mounted on and supported by saidtrack means, said sheet being moveable along said track means from aposition in the interior of said building wall adjacent said openingwhen said blowout panel is positioned in said opening to a positionacross said opening, thereby closing it, when said panel is displacedfrom said opening. 2. A blowout panel system in accordance with claim 1and further comprising a slot in the frame member located opposite theframe member having said passageway therein, said slot being positionedand proportioned to receive an edge of said emergency closure sheet whenit is positioned across said opening.

3. A blowout panel system in accordance with claim 1 in which saidemergency closure sheet is positionable in the interior of said wallabove said opening and is downwardly moveable across said opening,whereby to effect gravity induced closing of the opening by the sheetupon displacement of the panel from the opening. 4. A blowout panelsystem in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising sealing meansbetween said frame members and said panel.

5. A blowout panel system in accordance with claim 4 in which saidsealing means include a caulking rupturable in shear upon application ofan outward force on said panel equivalent to a preselected pressure dif'ferential between the interior and exterior of the building of whichsaid wall is a part.

6. A blowout panel system in accordance with claim 1 and furtherincluding means connecting said panel to said wall rupturable uponapplication of an outward force on said panel equivalent to apreselected pressure differential between the interior and exterior ofthe building of which said wall is a part.

7. A blowout panel system in accordance with claim 1 and furtherincluding means connecting said panel to said wall releasable uponapplication of an outward force on said panel equivalent to apreselected pressure differential between the interior and exterior ofthe building of which said wall is a part.

1. A blowout panel system for use in a building wall comprising: framemembers defining a blowout opening in said wall; a blowout panel shapedand dimensioned to fill said opening, said panel having meansestablishing a peripheral flange larger than said opening on theexterior side of the panel, whereby to prevent displacement of the panelinwardly through said opening but permit displacement thereof outwardlyfrom said opening; a passageway extending from said opening through oneof said frame members, said passageway being of a length substantiallyequal to the distance said opening extends along said frame member;track means extending through said passageway at each end thereof, saidtrack means extending along opposite sides of said opening andinteriorly of said building wall adjacent said opening for a distancesubstantially twice the dimension of said opening in the direction ofextension of said track means; and an emergency closure sheet slidablymounted on and supported by said track means, said sheet being moveablealong said track means from a position in the interior of said buildingwall adjacent said opening when said blowout panel is positioned in saidopening to a position across said opening, thereby closing it, when saidpanel is displaced from said opening.
 2. A blowout panel system inaccordance with claim 1 and further comprising a slot in the framemember located opposite the frame member having said passageway therein,said slot being positioned and proportioned to receive an edge of saidemergency closure sheet when it is positioned across said opening.
 3. Ablowout panel system in accordance with claim 1 in which said emergencyclosure sheet is positionable in the interior of saiD wall above saidopening and is downwardly moveable across said opening, whereby toeffect gravity induced closing of the opening by the sheet upondisplacement of the panel from the opening.
 4. A blowout panel system inaccordance with claim 1 and further comprising sealing means betweensaid frame members and said panel.
 5. A blowout panel system inaccordance with claim 4 in which said sealing means include a caulkingrupturable in shear upon application of an outward force on said panelequivalent to a preselected pressure differential between the interiorand exterior of the building of which said wall is a part.
 6. A blowoutpanel system in accordance with claim 1 and further including meansconnecting said panel to said wall rupturable upon application of anoutward force on said panel equivalent to a preselected pressuredifferential between the interior and exterior of the building of whichsaid wall is a part.
 7. A blowout panel system in accordance with claim1 and further including means connecting said panel to said wallreleasable upon application of an outward force on said panel equivalentto a preselected pressure differential between the interior and exteriorof the building of which said wall is a part.